when in a bureaucratic SNAFU, DIY

Bureacratic snafus involving parking tickets and stolen cars certainly aren't limited to Chicago. Check out this story from San Francisco.

remembering Phil Frank

Back when his comic strip was "Travels with Farley," I became a big fan of Phil Frank's humor. In 1985, he decided to go local and change it to "Farley," focusing on San Francisco area humor. I was sad to read of his passing in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle.

A fellow Chronicle cartoonist pays tribute to Phil Frank and Farley. Here's a 2005 tribute to Phil Frank. Sounds like Phil got quite a send-off in San Francisco the other day.

I will miss his unique, clever humor. Vaya con dios, Phil!

new tales of the city

I love the Tales of the City series of books as well as the TV miniseries, so I was very glad to hear this bit of news.

hidden Picasso

Here's a bit of cool news from San Francisco. When an early Picasso painting (ca. 1900) arrived at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, x-ray analysis revealed a complete painting hidden underneath the surface painting. Click here to read more.

BYOBW

This is some real silliness, courtesy of Bicycling magazine.

Bring Your Own Big Wheel (no rubber tires allowed)

Six Easters ago, artist Jon Brumit decided to ride a plastic Big Wheel down San Francisco's Lombard Street, said to be one of the most crooked roads in the world. As with so many really good bad ideas, others quickly recognized the appeal of his ride. In 2006, the event drew 17 racers and about 500 spectators - and lasted about one minute. Riders apply duct tape to their shoes for extra stopping power on the bricks, and compete for Brumit's handcrafted pricez, including string art, shellacked plaques and underwear with custom iron-on patches. Bonus tip: Last year's champion was the last to cross the start line (he was meditating), which allowed him to avoid the inevitable carnage at turn 1.

Jon Brumit's web site has pictures and info. Very entertaining pictures.